Trap.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LBIBT LIVBZEY. 0F GRUNFLL. IOWA; JOHN FORD, GUARDIAN 0l' SAID ALBERT LIVFZEY.

TRAP.

Bpecltlcaticn of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ALBERT Livszicv, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Grinnell, in the county of Poweshiek and State of Iowa, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traps, of which the followin is a specification, reference being had to t ie accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to traps for catching rats, mice and other rodents, and particularly to devices for trapping field inicc and like animals, which frequent shocks iu the field and rain stacks.

The genera object of the invention is to provide means for concealing a plurality of traps, this means simulating a rain shock so as to particularly attract fiel mice and like animals.

A further object is to provide very simple means which may be used for supporting the straw and used as a skeleton frame upon which the straw or other attractive material mig be disposed.

ther objects will appear in the course of the followin descri tion.

My invention is il ustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of my imitation straw shock;

Fig'. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the imitation shock showing the traps mounted therein; and

Fig. 8 is n section on the line iL-3 of Figi 2.

eferring to these drawings, it will be seen that. my improved trappin device comprises an a iproximately cy indrical body 10 formed o; wire netting of relatively large mesh and a plurality of stakes 11 disposed in an upwardly convergent relation and attached to the body l0, these stakes beinE held torrether by a string, wire or any ot er suitable device to this end. Within the body 10 is referably disposed a box 12 havin a plura ity of entrance openings 13 and within the box are disposed a plurality of traps 14, which may be of any suitable character, but preferably are the ordinary mouse traps found on the market. Corn, bran, cheese, apple parings, or any other bait is desi ned to be scattered in the vicinity of the imitation straw shock and in paths leadin into the interior of the body 10 and leading through ltheentrance openings 18, so that the mice will be attracted into the shook and then be caught in the traps.

In the actual construction of this device, I take a strip of wire netting, preferably about 5 feet long and 1 foot high and bend this sti-ip into a circle fastening the ends of the si ri i together and thus forming the body 10. then take a plurality of stakes 1l which are about 2l feet high and drive them into the ground so that tliev are in a incre or less convergent relation. The stakes are held in this convergent relation by cord or wire 15, which is wrapped around the stakes and also acts to fasten the body to the stakes. Straw, or other like material, designated 16, is then disposed upon the frame work thus formed, this straw extending upward in the inanncr that straw extends in a grain shock. The straw ma be fastened to the skeleton frame by cor( or other fastening means, so that the entire imitation shock may be lifted up and transported from one portion of a field to another, the stakes being again driven into the ground a slight distance when the trap is replaced.

I have found b v experience that the imitation grain shocli forms a particularly ef fective means for concealing trapping devices, because it not only conceals the. trappin devices, but it is in itself an attraction, as ield inice and other animals which do great damage to standing and harvested crops frequent these shocks of grain in the open field to a very great extent.

Of course it may be necessary to bait the imitation shock before lacing the traps therein. Thus it inay be boiled for several days or nights until the mice or other animals bccome'used to the shock and to the supply of food t0 be found within Then the traps can be placed within the imitation shock or within the box 12 and the number of animals caught after avprocedure of this kind is relativelyv large. The device is simple, may be cheaply made, is easily a plied and, as before stated, is thoroughly e ective and may be even used in side houses for the urpose of catching mice and rats.

l aving described my invention, what I claim is 1. A device of the character described comprising a body formed of wire netting, stakes attached to the body and extenda upward in convergent relation and exten ing downward below the bod and straw extending upward and attache to the stakes and the body to simulate a. grain shock.

2. A device of the character described comprising a lurality of convergent stakes havmg pomte lower ends and connected to each other at their upper ends an approximately cylindrical body formed of wire netting, the body being folded inward at a plurality of points to receive said upwardly convergent stakes and being attached to the stakes, and a covering of straw attached t0 the body and extending downward along the stakes and extendin upward above the stakes and then outwar ly spread to simu- 15 late a grain shock.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlx my signature in the presence of two witnesses. ALBERT LIVEZEY. Witnesses:

JOHN Furman, Encan MoNxIL.

00910 et this patent my be obtained for ave cents euh, by sumadas the Commissioner of retenu.

washington, D. 0." 

